Ingredients (7)

Cheese (enough for 3 large circles 1cm thick and some smaller circles)

Processed Meat (enough for 3 large circles 1 cm thick)

1 Boiled Egg

3 leaves curly Lettuce

half a cup Boiled white Rice

5 Stuffed green olives

Nori dried toasted Seaweed 1 sheet

I came up with this recipe for a Cooties bento as part of my homework in the Bento Summer School. This is special because bentos and charabens (Character bentos) can be full of salad, vegetables, fruits, protein and carbs; a little of everything to make sure kids eat healthily, and so much fun that they can’t wait for their next lunch!

Instructions

2Lay out the lettuce leaves in 1 side of the Bento Box, and put the rice in the other side, once cooked.

3Cut the cheese into circles the same diameter as the egg (use a cookie cutter or a baby bottle cap) Do the same to the meat. Cut the boiled egg in half.

4Cut small circles out of cheese slices for the eyes

5Use a hole punch on the nori seaweed to get small dots for the pupils of the eyes

6Arrange the pieces of food so that the Boiled egg forms the head and tail of the Cootie and the cheese and meat alternate in the middle to make a stripy body. Arrange the stuffed olives on top of the rice and put the cheese eyes on top. The legs can be made from the remaining scraps of meat. The remaining scraps of cheese can be used to make toasted cheese sandwiches another day if you wish.